LNP MPs DISHONEST ABOUT CASUAL LEGISLATION

The Liberal National Government will say and do anything to try and win votes, including dishonestly claiming they support workers.

Both Queensland Nationals, Senator Canavan and George Christensen, have posted false and misleading claims on Facebook that they have legislated to protect casual workers and that workers can now convert to permanent employment after 12 months work. Neither are true.

The first claim is patently untrue because nothing has passed the parliament. 
 
Secondly, in a Senate committee hearing today examining the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Request Casual Conversion) Bill, the Department of Jobs and Small Business officials exposed Christensen’s claim that workers can now easily convert as completely wrong:

 

Senator Watt: I’ve seen some commentary about this bill since it was first introduced, including a claim that the government is changing the law so that regular casual workers become permanent workers after 12 months of employment.  Is that correct, does this bill do that?

Department:  Ah, no, so it opens up the conversation for a right to request but it certainly doesn’t provide an automatic right to convert after a period of time, whether it be 12 months or something else. 

 
In further questioning of the Department:
 

Senator Watt: So, OK, it’s not correct that the law is being changed so that regular casual workers become permanent workers after 12 months of employment?
 
Department: No, it’s a right to request.

For over five years this government has denied there is a problem with casualisation and precarious work.
 
Their only plan is to cut penalty rates and keep wages low, which the Finance Minister recently claimed is a “deliberate design feature”.  
 
If the Liberal government cared about precarious employment they would join Labor and support legislating a clearer definition of casual.